Chapter 50 — The Cabin in the Woods
Chapter 50 — The Cabin in the Woods
Translation: Godtl
'Mom's cabin... that place is suspicious.'
She felt she could find the ingredient if she went there.
When she first went to the cabin, the recipe for that treatment potion didn't exist. So she guessed the ingredients hadn't appeared.
Moreover, there was more to do.
She had to prevent the future deaths of her grandfather and Uncle Zenon, and also prepare for Aunt Atias falling into debt.
'But Aunt doesn't seem interested in gambling at all....'
Perhaps the future had changed because of Lelia. Anyway, there was more to do.
'I need to take the original male lead, Lute's holy artifact.'
That was one of the most important tasks.
The war with the Mad Dragons had ended, so soon he would return to the capital.
For that, Lelia had to go to the capital without delay.
'I need to find the ingredient for Grandmother's treatment too....'
She absolutely had to go for both purposes.
With this many plans, Lelia's life was starting now.
She had to move diligently day by day.
And tonight, she planned to tell her grandfather that she wanted to go to the capital.
'He wouldn't refuse to let me go, would he?'
Her grandfather was always overprotective of her.
"It's done, Miss."
"Thank you, Becky."
At Becky's words, Lelia looked at her reflection in the mirror.
The silver-gray dress had no cumbersome decorations and didn't tightly constrict her entire waist line, making it comfortable to move in.
"Miss, I have nothing more to wish for now. I only hope you meet a truly good gentleman and are loved. However, please keep one thing in mind."
"...What is it?"
"The Crique family is absolutely, absolutely not allowed."
At Becky's firm words, the corner of Lelia's mouth lifted slightly.
The Crique family was one of Superion's vassal families.
Unlike other vassals, they had been friendly to Lelia from the beginning.
However, the reason Becky opposed them so strongly was because of their son.
The Crique couple had one son who had come to play at the estate when Lelia was about thirteen.
At that time, that boy looked at Lelia and spat out the words "A fake acting above her station!" and insulted her.
Moreover, while saying those words, he threw sand in Lelia's face.
Becky had witnessed that scene, so it seemed he had earned her thorough hatred.
When the Duke, who had been informed by Becky, became very angry, the Crique couple apologized in bewilderment.
Lelia had smiled and said it was fine, worried that her grandfather's relationship with the vassals would deteriorate because of her.
'After that incident, the Crique couple sent their son away to the capital entirely.'
Nobles and vassals of outer territories often sent their children to the capital for education.
After all, spending adolescence in the capital allowed them to make many good connections.
Anyway, that Crique couple's son had recently returned to the territory and....
Somehow he encountered Lelia by chance in the territory's downtown and proposed marriage on the spot.
He said he had fallen in love at first sight.
However, as soon as he saw Becky's face, his complexion turned pale.
Becky jumped up in fury and dragged Lelia to the carriage with a knight.
Recalling that day, Lelia patted Becky's shoulder.
"Don't worry, Becky."
Anyway, that man wasn't Lelia's type either.
If she had to specify her taste... Lelia preferred men with large frames and tall stature over the lean Crique heir.
Becky, still anxious at Lelia's words, studied her face.
"Let's go quickly. Grandfather must be waiting."
"Yes, Miss."
The atmosphere at dinner was warm and harmonious.
It had always been this way lately, ever since the Light Dragon died and the war ended.
This was because Karius would soon be returning to the territory.
"I received a letter from Karius. He says he'll be back by the end of spring at the latest."
"Thank goodness."
Lelia nodded as she listened to the conversation between her aunt and grandfather.
Beside Lelia sat her grandmother, who was watching her eat with a benevolent expression.
Depending on her condition, Lisandra would sometimes see Lelia as Elizabeth, and other times as her granddaughter, though her attitude wasn't particularly different either way.
However, when dealing with Lelia, her tendency to dote on her was more pronounced. That was also when she maintained her original mental state.
"Dear, you need to eat your vegetables too."
"...."
Lelia, who had been secretly pushing away the paprika, got caught by her grandmother's eyes.
"Our Elizabeth ate her vegetables well too...."
"Yes, Grandmother. I'll eat them well too."
Lelia speared the paprika with her fork, put it in her mouth, and chewed with exaggerated movements.
Uncle Zenon scolded her for being picky despite being fully grown, but Lelia pressed her lips together firmly.
Uncle doesn't eat seafood either, claiming to dislike it.
When Lelia looked at him with a meaningful gaze, Zenon subtly turned his head away.
Seeing this, both grandfather and aunt laughed out loud.
Lelia felt regretful. Once she left the territory for a while, this warm dining table would be no more.
As the meal was coming to an end.
Lelia cautiously spoke up.
"Grandfather, Grandmother. Uncle, Aunt."
At Lelia's serious voice, all eyes gathered on her.
Lelia suppressed her tension and spoke with courage.
"There's something I need to tell you.... I... I want to go to the capital."
"...."
"The capital?"
"Why the capital?"
At the word "capital," the expressions of grandfather, uncle, and aunt crumpled.
Their complexions darkened likely because of Emperor Perseus in the capital.
"Are you perhaps planning to go find your father?"
Uncle Zenon, the eldest uncle, asked in a slightly hurt tone. Lelia quickly shook her head.
"It's not that! Actually... there's an alchemical medicine I'm researching. To obtain the ingredients for it, I have to go to the capital."
"Hmmm...."
At Lelia's words, silence circulated as everyone seemed lost in their own thoughts.
"Would it be difficult to send someone to find them?"
"I must go myself."
Lelia answered firmly to her aunt's words.
"...Go, then."
After a long silence, Duke Superion spoke. Lelia looked at her grandfather with surprised eyes.
'I thought grandfather would be the most opposed....'
She was bewildered by the unexpected response.
"However... dear."
"Yes."
"Grandfather has just one request. You must return once. Definitely."
"What do you mean... just once, Grandfather!"
Lelia's eyes became moist. It seemed grandfather thought she was planning to leave for good.
"I'm going to the capital to cure Grandmother's illness. Returning is a given. This is my home...."
As Lelia shed tears, Duke Superion smiled benevolently. The wrinkles around his eyes had deepened since they first met.
"Then I won't worry."
Even with the Duke's answer, Lelia continued to cry.
Her heart ached because she could guess what feelings her grandfather had when he gave his permission.
"Father needlessly makes the child feel hurt and cry like that. Will Lelia come only once? This is her home."
"That's right, Father really... Lelia, stop crying. Okay? Aunt will give you spending money."
Lelia ended up laughing at the tone of her uncle and aunt who took her side while still treating her like a child.
Atias, who had been looking at Lelia as if she were cute, suddenly realized something and spoke.
"My husband happens to need to go near the capital for merchant business, so you can go together."
"That would be good."
At her aunt and uncle's words, Lelia nodded.
Uncle Zenon and her aunt didn't stay at Superion Castle but had set up their household in a nearby mansion.
She had seen Uncle Zenon and her nephews a few times, but she had hardly ever met Aunt Atias's husband.
This was because he was always busy running the merchant group.
So Lelia speculated that the reason her aunt had incurred gambling debts might have been loneliness.
However, no matter how much she investigated and looked into it, her aunt had no hobbies like gambling.
'The future must have changed.'
Lelia thought it was fortunate. But just in case, she planned to finish her business in the capital as quickly as possible and return.
While other things were also important, protecting her family was the top priority for Lelia.
The carriage Lelia boarded quickly departed from the Superion Territory.
Grandmother, grandfather, uncle, aunt, Becky, and the castle's servants and knights.
As she bid farewell to everyone, Lelia felt a peculiar emotion.
Even though she had said she would return soon, everyone showed tears, and Lelia ended up crying as well. It truly felt like she was becoming someone who was leaving.
Even the knights she had never been particularly close to were wiping away tears with their handkerchiefs.
It wasn't until the carriage reached the edge of the territory that Lelia finally stopped crying and composed herself.
'Still, I should reach the capital quickly.'
For the past nine years, Emperor Perseus had pursued policies to extensively cultivate the abilities of mages.
Thanks to this, teleportation magic circles had been installed throughout the empire, and using them, a journey that originally took a month could be shortened to two weeks.
It was an enormous advancement.
Lelia gazed out the carriage window. The merchant group was traveling safely under the escort of knights.
Her uncle-in-law, whom she was meeting for nearly the first time, was a very kind man.
He not only allowed her to ride a luxurious carriage by herself but also assigned her a maid from a business partner traveling with them.
However, throughout the journey to the capital, she never saw the face of this so-called business partner.
He kept staying inside the carriage and never came out.
When Lelia expressed curiosity, the maid explained.
"The master has developed a skin condition and cannot come outside the carriage."
Perhaps for that reason, only the servants and her uncle-in-law occasionally went in and out of the carriage.
Lelia soon lost interest.
In truth, this was not the time to be focusing her attention elsewhere.
She sank into deep thought.
She felt neither excitement nor fear, but it would be a lie to say she felt no burden.
Her family's safety rested in her hands.
It felt like only yesterday when she fled from the capital and met her grandfather....
'Now I need to get my head on straight.'
Lelia bit her lip firmly and her eyes gleamed with determination.
Until her arrival at the capital, Lelia carefully planned and revised her future course of action.
After several weeks passed like that.